1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates broadly to social network applications that are connected to online social networks. More particularly, this invention relates to providing advanced telecommunication services to users of such social network applications.
2. State of the Art
An online social network service is a web-based service that provides a means for users to interact over the Internet in order to build social networks and provide social interactions between such users. Online social networking services allow users to share ideas, activities, events, and interests within their individual networks. Popular online social network services in North America include Facebook, Bebo, Twitter, MySpace and LinkedIn. Other online social network services are popular for other geographic regions.
Some of the online social network services provide a framework that allows independent software developers (as well as developers of the service itself) to develop software logic (referred to herein as “social network applications”) that is connected to the given service such that the application can access user profile data maintained by the service. The social network applications typically provide a means for users to interact over the Internet in order to carry out desired functionality. For example, Facebook employs a framework utilized by a large number of social network applications, including games (such as “FarmVille” by Zynga, “Texas HoldEm Poker” by Zynga, “Café World” by Zynga, “PetVille” by Zynga, “Mafia Wars” by Zynga, and “Treasure Island” by Zynga), media content sharing (such as “Mobile” by Facebook), dating services (such as “Zoosk” by Zoosk, Inc.) and others. The frameworks provide a mechanism for authenticating a particular user. The frameworks also provide a mechanism that allows individual users to authorize a particular social network application. Once a user is authenticated and the particular application authorized by the user, the application can access profile data of the user. Typically, a permissions scheme is implemented to provide a mechanism for granting access to certain types of user profile data. For example, Facebook employs a permissions scheme with a default state whereby the authorized application can access all of the public data in the user's profile, including name, profile picture, gender, and friend list. Access to certain types of private data is managed by extended permissions. For example, if an application seeks to incorporate a user's photos, the application, you would request the “user_photos” extended permission. A long list of extended permission types are described at http://developers.facebook.com/docs/authentication/permissions, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. During the authorization process, the user is presented with a UI in which the user can authorize your application to access that specific part of her profile.
One of the problems that challenge user of online social networks as well as social network applications is the inherent inability of the current systems to provide for voice communication amongst users unless the users' phone numbers are known.
For example, the SkypeMe application has been developed that allows a SkypeMe/Facebook user to add specific Facebook friends to a list of SkypeMe/Facebook users and provides for voice and chat services to the list of SkypeMe/Facebook users on the Skype network. The services provided by the SkypeMe application are limited in nature as the voice calls and chat requires Skype-enabled end-point devices. Moreover, the SkypeMe services associates a Skype user ID (or online identifier) with a particular Facebook user ID. The Skype user ID identifies the Skype user and does not correspond to any particular end point device. Instead, the Skype user ID is used in conjunction with Skype software executing on any Skype-enabled end-point device to dynamically login to the Skype network to establish a connection between the Skype-enabled end-point device and the Skype network for communication to the Skype user. Finally, from the point of view of the SkypeMe/Facebook user, the SkypeMe service is limited to specific friends (i.e., only those in the users list of SkypeMe/Facebook users).
In another example, social network applications have been developed that include Call Me functionality that interface to the Google Voice platform. The Call Me functionality includes a call widget associated with a particular user. The call widget is made accessible to other users executing respective social network application. The other users can click the call widget and enter their respective phone number. The social network application communicates a message (POST/voice/call/connect) to the Google Voice platform that specifies the phone numbers for the parties of the call. The phone number for the calling party is the phone number entered by the user via interaction with the call widget. The phone number for the called party is the phone number of the particular user associated with the call widget. Importantly, the Call Me functionality of the social network application and the Google Voice platform requires that the parties expose their phone numbers for use by the social network applications. The core issue is that a user's phone number is private in nature and there are many instances where a user would like to maintain the privacy of his or her phone number. Such instances are commonplace in social network applications such as games and dating application where users have little personal knowledge of the other online users. Moreover, it can be cumbersome for the calling party to enter his or her phone number and user input errors can cause failures in properly setting up the call.
Similar problems exist for SMS messaging between users of online social networks and social network applications associated therewith social network users.
Thus, there remains a need for means of voice, SMS as well as other forms of communication amongst users of online social networks and social network applications associated therewith where a user can maintain the privacy of his or her phone number with respect to the social network application that is used to trigger the communication all as well as to the other parties of the communication.